PLANNER
Number 2: Budget If you’ve got a set amount of money to work with that you simply cannot exceed, then this factor should be your number 1. Your budget will then determine your guest list, as the cost of a wedding is directly proportionate to the number of people invited. One of the most expensive aspects of a wedding is the catering (food and drink) – feeding 100 people versus 500 will yield a very different bill. If your budget is flexible, then it would be best to start with the guest list, which will then help determine your budget. Assuming that your budget isn’t limitless, you’d still be helping yourself by having a financial plan, which can be tricky to determine. Flip to the budgeting section of this planner (p88) for a breakdown of how to do it.
Number 3: Date Choosing your wedding date depends on a number of factors, including what kind of wedding you want (a Christmas-themed do or spring party wedding?), what sort of weather you’d prefer to avoid (you can never bank on the weather, but if the heat is your biggest enemy then it’s wise to avoid the summer months, and the same goes for winter), whether you want a particular reception venue and church, and whether these are even available. As a couple, you’ll need to discuss these issues in detail to reach a mutual conclusion, but before you commit to a date, check that there are no major events taking place around that time (World Cup and UEFA European Championship finals, the possibility of general elections, etc), that close family and members of the bride and groom’s parties are available, and that no other relatives or best friends are getting married on the same date. 86
The month you choose could also affect your budget – peak wedding months in Malta are May to July and September to October, which means that vendors could charge you more during high season.
Number 4: The venue Your choice of venue will likely be the biggest influence on the rest of your wedding. A grand palazzo will call for a different set of suppliers to a medium-sized villa, but you can help narrow the choice based on location, style, and numbers 1, 2, and 3 of The Big Four. If a specific venue you want isn’t available on the date you chose, then you need to revisit 3 or 4. Also, a particular venue might be way out of your budget (2) – but if you’re having a small wedding, then the cost could compensate for a smaller guest list (1). On the other hand, the guest list might be too small for the size of the reception venue – you want to avoid your venue looking empty and your guests looking sparse, or being too crammed and bumping into each other. So, as you can see, the big four are all dependent on each other, and one cannot be determined without bearing the others in mind.